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eminiscences 


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SMI  DIEGO     j 


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eminiscences 


cadian 
Reminiscences 

The  True  Story  of  Evangeline 

By  Judge  Felix  Voorhies 
INTRODUCTION  BY  FELIX  BIRNEY  VOORHIES 


Price  $2.00 

E.  P.  RIVAS,  Publisher 
New  Orleans,  Louisiana 


Copyright,  1907, 
by  FBLIX  VOORHIBS 


Table  of  Contents 

Page 

List  of  Illustrations     .  7 

Introduction    "..'.                         •  .  ,  9 

I.  Reminiscences        .         .         .  .  13 

II.  Acadian  Manners  and  Customs  .  23 

III.  Rumors  of  War  ....  35 

IV.  Threatening  Clouds     .         .     -  .  43 

V.  Acadian  Exiles      .        '.         .  „  53 

VI.  A  Night  of  Terror       .  .  •   .  ,  .61 

VII.  Generous  Friends        ...  .  75 

VIII.  Evangeline        .         .         .  .  79 

IX.  Louisiana             .  91 


List  of  Illustrations 

Frontispiece,  A  Modern  Conception  of 

Evangeline. 

Page 

Catholic  Church  Exterior          .  76 

Evangeline          ....  81 

Evangeline  Oak          ...  86 

Interior  of  Church  104 


Introduction 

Acadian  Reminiscences,  depicting  the  True  Life  of 
Evangeline,  is  a  story  centered  about  the  life  of  the 
Acadians  whose  descendants  are  now  residents  of  the 
Teche  Country  also  known  as  the  Land  of  Evangeline. 

These  people  lived  a  pure  and  simple  life  with  an 
unbounded  devotion  to  their  religion  and  with  an  un- 
shakable faith  in  their  God.  Their  love  for  one  another 
is  unparalleled  in  the  annals  of  human  history,  to  which 
may  be  attributed  their  fortitude  and  perseverance  in 
their  travels  from  Canada,  upon  being  expelled  by  the 
British,  to  their  chosen  Land  on  the  banks  of  Bayou 
Teche. 


10  Introduction 


The  author,  Judge  Felix  Voorhies,  relates  the  story 
as  it  was  told  to  him  by  his  grandmother.  The  story 
begins  by  telling  of  the  native  land  of  these  Acadians 
and  of  the  village  of  St.  Gabriel  from  which  they  were 
driven  when  the  French  Province  was  surrendered  to  the 
British.  It  tells  of  members  of  the  same  families  being 
separated  and  placed  aboard  different  ships  and  some 
never  to  see  each  other  again.  The  story  tells  of  their 
landing  in  Maryland  and  after  some  time,  hearing  that 
members  of  theirs  and  other  families  having  landed  in 
Louisiana.  This  news  brought  encouragement  and  de- 
termination, in  face  of  great  dangers,  to  travel  to  the 
beautiful  Land  of  the  Teche. 

The  author  was  best  able  to  present  this  story  as  it 
was  handed  down  to  him  by  word  of  mouth  by  his 


Introduction  11 


grandmother  who  adopted  Evangeline  when  orphaned 
at  an  early  age.  The  writer  repeats  the  story  in  a  simple 
narrative  manner  characteristic  of  the  Acadians. 

To  this  day  travelers  may  visit  the  quaint  town  of  St. 
Martinville  on  the  banks  of  Bayou  Teche  and  pay  their 
respects  at  the  grave  shrine  of  Evangeline  and  a  few 
fleeting  moments  live  the  life  of  these  early  settlers. 

Because  of  the  demands  for  this  story  and  in  tribute 
to  Judge  Felix  Voorhies,  my  grandfather,  a  man  of  noble 
character,  staunch  patriotism  and  unerring  judgment,  I, 
together  with  all  members  of  the  Voorhies  family,  dedi- 
cate this  book. 

FELIX  BIRNEY  VOORHIES. 


Chapter 
One 


I 


Reminiscences 

with  the  true 
Story  of  Evangeline 


r  seems  but  yesterday,  and 
yet  sixty  years  have  passed 
away  since  my  boyhood.  How 
|j  fleeting  is  time,  how  swiftly 
does  old  age  creep  upon  us 
with  its  infirmities.  The  curling  smoke, 
dispelled  by  the  passing  wind,  the  water 
that  glides  with  a  babbling  murmur  in  the 
gentle  stream,  leave  as  deep  a  mark  of  their 
passage  as  do  the  fleeting  days  of  man. 

I  was  twelve  years  old,  and  yet  I  can 
picture  in  my  mind  the  noble  simplicity  of 
my  father's  house.  The  homes  of  our 
fathers  were  not  showy,  but  their  appear- 
ance was  smiling  and  inviting;  they  had 
neither  quaintness  nor  gaudiness,  but 


16  Acadian  R 


emimscences 


were  as  grand  in  their  simplicity  as  the 
boundless  hospitality  of  their  owners, 
for  no  people  were  more  generous  or 
hospitable  than  the  Acadians  who  settled 
in  the  magnificent  and  poetical  wilds  of  the 
Teche  country. 

My  father's  house  stood  on  a  sloping 
hill,  in  the  center  of  a  large  yard,  whose 
finely  laid  rows  of  china  trees,  interspersed 
with  clusters  of  towering  oaks,  formed  de- 
lightful vistas.  On  the  declivity  of  the  hill 
the  orchard  displayed  its  wealth  of  orange, 
of  plum  and  peach  trees.  Farther  on  was 
the  garden,  teeming  with  vegetables  of  all 
kinds,  sufficient  for  the  need  of  a  whole 
village. 

I  can  yet  picture  that  yard,  with  its 
hundreds  of  poultry,  so  full  of  life,  running 
with  flapping  of  wings  and  with  noisy 
cacklings  around  my  mother  as  she  scat- 
tered the  grain  for  them  morning  and 
evening. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill,  extending  to 
the  Vermillion  bayou,  were  the  pasture 


Acadian  Reminiscences  17 

grounds,  where  grazed  the  cattle,  and 
where  the  bleating  sheep  followed,  step  by 
step,  the  stately  ram  with  tinkling  bell 
suspended  to  his  neck.  How  clearly  is 
that  scenery  pictured  in  my  mind  with 
its  lights  and  shadows!  Were  I  a  painter  I 
could  even  now  portray  with  striking  re- 
ality the  minutest  shadings  and  beauties  of 
that  landscape. 

How  strange  that  I  should  recall  so  vivid- 
ly those  things,  while  scenes  that  I  have 
admired  in  my  maturer  years  have  been 
obliterated  from  my  memory!  Ah!  the 
child's  mind,  like  soft  wax,  is  easily  mold- 
ed to  sensations  and  impressions  that  never 
fade,  while  man's  mind,  blunted  by  the 
keenness  of  life's  deceptions,  can  no  longer 
receive  and  retain  the  imprints  of  those  im- 
pressions and  sensations. 

If  this  be  true,  does  not  a  kind  Provi- 
dence suggest  to  us,  in  this  wise,  the 
wisdom  of  molding  the  child's  mind  and 
intelligence  with  the  fostering  care  of 
parental  solicitude,  that  he  may  become 


Acadian  Reminiscences 

an  upright  man,  a  good  citizen  and  a  re- 
proachless  husband  and  father. 

My  father  was  an  Acadian,  son  of  an 
Acadian,  and  proud  of  his  ancestry.  The 
term  Acadian  was,  in  those  days,  synony- 
mous with  honesty,  hospitality  and  gener- 
osity. By  his  indomitable  energy,  my 
father  had  acquired  a  handsome  fortune, 
and  such  was  the  simplicity  of  his  manners, 
and  such  his  frugality,  that  he  lived,  con- 
tented and  happy,  on  his  income. 

Our  family  consisted  of  my  father  and 
mother,  of  three  children,  and  of  my 
grandmother,  a  centenarian,  whose  clear 
and  lucid  memory  contained  a  wealthy 
mine  of  historical  facts  that  an  antiquarian 
or  chronicler  would  have  been  proud  to 
possess. 

In  the  cold  winter  days,  the  family  as- 
sembled in  the  hall,  where  a  goodly  fire 
blazed  on  the  hearth;  and  while  the  wind 
whistled  outside,  our  grandmother,  an 
exile  from  Acadia,  would  relate  to  us  the 
stirring  scenes  she  had  witnessed  when  her 


Acadian  Reminiscences  19 

people  were  driven  from  their  homes  by 
the  British,  their  sufferings  during  their 
long  pilgrimage  overland  from  Maryland 
to  the  wilds  of  Louisiana,  the  dangers  that 
beset  them  on  their  long  journey  through 
endless  forests,  along  the  precipitous 
banks  of  rivers  too  deep  to  be  forded; 
among  hostile  Indians,  that  followed  them 
stealthily,  like  wolves,  day  and  night, 
ever  ready  to  pounce  upon  them  and  mas- 
sacre them. 

And  as  she  spoke,  we  drew  closer  to  her, 
and  grouped  around  her  and  stirred  not, 
lest  we  lose  one  of  her  words. 

When  she  spoke  of  Acadia,  her  face 
brightened,  her  eyes  beamed  with  a  strange 
brilliancy,  and  she  kept  us  spellbound,  so 
eloquent  and  yet  so  sad  were  her  words; 
and  then  tears  trickled  down  her  aged 
cheeks  and  her  voice  trembled  with 
emotion.  Under  our  father's  roof  she 
lacked  none  of  the  comforts  of  life.  We 
knew  that  her  children  vied  with  each  other 
to  please  her,  and  we  wondered  why  it  was 


20  Acadian  Reminiscences 

that  she  seemed  to  be  sad  and  unhappy. 
We  were  then  mere  children  and  knew 
nothing  of  the  human  heart;  grim  experi- 
ence had  not  taught  us  its  sorrowful  lessons, 
and  we  knew  not  that  a  remembrance  has 
often  the  bitterness  of  gall,  and  that  tears 
alone  will  wash  away  that  bitterness. 

She  sat  in  her  rocking  chair,  with  hands 
clasped  on  her  knees,  her  body  leaning 
slightly  forward;  her  hair,  silvered  over 
by  age,  could  be  seen  under  the  lace  of  her 
cap;  her  dress  was  neat  and  tasteful,  for 
she  always  took  pride  in  her  personal  ap- 
pearance. 

She  called  us  upetiots"  meaning  "little 
ones",  and  she  took  pleasure  in  convers- 
ing with  us.  My  father  remonstrated  with 
her  because  she  fondled  us  too  much. 
"Mother",  he  would  say,  "you  spoil  the 
children";  but  she  heeded  not  his  words 
and  fondled  us  the  more.  These  details 
are  interesting  to  none  but  myself,  and  I 
dwell,  perhaps,  too  long  upon  them.  Alas! 
I  am  an  old  man,  reviewing  the  joys  and 


Acadian  Reminiscences  21 

sorrows  of  my  boyhood,  and  it  seems  to 
me  that  I  have  become  once  more  a  little 
child  when  I  speak  of  days  gone  by,  and 
when  I  recall  the  memory  of  those  I  loved 
so  well  and  who  are  no  more. 

I  shall  now  attempt  to  repeat  the  story 
of  my  grandmother's  misfortunes,  and  as 
she  has  related  it  to  us  time  and  again. 


Chapter 
Two 

8 


My  Grandmother's 
Narrative 

She  Depicts   Acadian  Planners 
ana    Customs 

•ETIOTS,"      she     said,     "my 

P'  native  land  is  situated  far,  far 
away,  up  north,  and  you  would 
have  to  walk  during  many 
months  to  reach  it;  you  would 
have  to  cross  rivers  deep  and  wide,  go  over 
mountains  looming  up  thousands  of  feet, 
and  beneath  impending  rocks,  shadowing 
yawning  valleys;  you  would  have  to  travel 
day  and  night,  in  endless  forests,  among 
hostile  Indians,  seeking  an  opportunity  to 
waylay  and  murder  you. 

"My  native  land  is  called  Acadia.  It  is 
a  cold  and  desolate  region  during  winter, 
and  snow  covers  the  ground  during  several 
months  of  the  year.  It  is  rocky,  and  huge 


26  Acadian  Reminiscences 

and  rugged  stones  lie  strewn  over  the 
surface  of  the  ground  in  many  places,  and 
one  must  struggle  hard  for  a  livelihood 
there,  especially  with  the  poor  and  meagre 
tools  possessed  by  my  people.  My  country 
is  not  like  yours,  diversified  by  rolling  and 
gentle  hills,  covered  the  year  round  with 
a  thick  carpet  of  green  grass,  and  where 
every  plant  sprouts  up  and  grows  to  ma- 
turity as  if  by  magic,  and  where  one  may 
enrich  himself  easily,  provided  he  fears 
God  and  is  laborious  and  economical.  Yet 
I  grieve  for  my  native  land,  with  its  rocks 
and  snows,  because  I  have  left  there  a 
part  of  my  heart  in  the  graves  of  those  I 
loved  so  well  and  who  sleep  under  its  sod." 

And  as  she  spoke  thus,  her  eyes  streamed 
with  tears  and  emotion  choked  her  utter- 
ance. 

"I  have  promised  to  give  you  in  insight 
into  the  manners  and  customs  of  your 
Acadian  ancestors,  and  to  tell  you  how  it 
was  that  we  left  our  country  as  exiles  to 
emigrate  to  Louisiana.  I  now  keep  my 


Acadian  Reminiscences  27 

promise,  and  will  relate  to  you  all  that  I 
know  of  our  sad  history: 

:<You  must  know,  petiots,  that  less  than 
a  hundred  years  ago  Acadia  was  a  French 
Province,  whose  people  lived  contented 
and  happy.  The  king  of  France  sent  brave 
officers  to  govern  the  province,  and  these 
officers  treated  us  with  the  greatest  kind- 
ness; they  were  our  arbiters  and  adjusted 
all  our  differences,  and  so  equitable  were 
their  decisions,  that  they  proved  satisfac- 
tory to  all.  Is  it  strange,  then,  that  being 
thus  situated  we  prospered  and  lived  con- 
tented and  happy?  Little  did  we  then 
dream  of  what  cruel  fate  had  in  store  for 
us. 

"Our  manner  of  living  in  Acadia  was 
peculiar,  the  people  forming,  as  it  were, 
one  single  family.  The  province  was  di- 
vided into  districts  inhabited  by  a  certain 
number  of  families,  among  which  the  gov- 
ernment parceled  out  the  land  in  tracts 
sufficiently  large  for  their  needs.  Those 
families  grouping  together  formed  small 


28  Acadian  R 


emmiscences 


villages,  or  posts,  under  the  administration 
of  commandants.  No  one  was  allowed  to 
lead  a  life  of  idleness,  or  to  be  a  worthless 
member  of  the  province.  The  child 
worked  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  do 
so,  and  he  worked  until  old  age  unfitted  him 
for  toil.  The  men  tended  the  flocks  and 
tilled  the  land,  and  while  they  plowed  the 
fields,  the  boys  followed  them  step  by  step, 
goading  on  the  work-oxen.  The  wives 
and  daughters  attended  to  the  household 
work,  and  spun  the  wool  and  cotton  which 
they  wove  and  manufactured  into  cloth 
with  which  to  clothe  the  family.  The  old 
people  not  over  active  and  strong,  like 
your  grandmother,"  she  would  add  with 
a  smile,  "together  with  the  infirm  and  in- 
valids, braided  the  straw  with  which  we 
manufactured  our  hats;  so  that  you  see, 
petiots,  we  had  no  drones,  no  useless 
loungers  in  our  villages,  and  every  one 
lived  the  better  for  it. 

"The  land  allotted  to  each  district  was  di- 
vided into  two  unequal  parts;  the  larger 
portion  was  set  apart  as  the  tillage  ground, 


Acadian  Reminiscences  29 

and  then  parceled  out  among  the  different 
families;  and  yet  the  clashing  of  interests, 
resulting  from  that  community  of  rights, 
never  stirred  up  any  contentions  among 
your  Acadian  ancestors. 

"Although  poor,  they  were  honest  and 
industrious,  and  they  lived  contented  with 
what  little  they  had,  without  envying  their 
neighbors,  and  how  could  it  be  otherwise? 
If  any  one  was  unable  to  do  his  field 
work  because  of  illness,  or  of  some  other 
misfortune,  his  neighbors  flew  to  his  as- 
sistance, and  it  required  but  a  few  days' 
work,  with  their  combined  efforts  to  weed 
his  field  and  save  his  crop. 

"Thus  it  was  that,  incited  by  noble  and 
generous  feeling,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
province  seemed  to  form  one  single  family, 
and  not  a  community  composed  of  separate 
families. 

"These  details,  petiots,  are  tedious  to 
you,  and  you  would  rather  that  I  should 
tell  you  stories  more  amusing  and  captivat- 
ing." 

"No,  grandmother,    we  feel  more  and 


30  Acadian  R 


emmiscences 


more  interested  in  your  narrative.  Speak 
to  us  of  Acadia,  your  native  land,  which 
we  already  love  for  your  sake." 

"Petiots",  she  said,  "  I  love  my  Acadia, 
and  you  will  learn  to  love  it  also,  when  you 
shall  have  been  made  acquainted  with  the 
worth  of  its  honest  and  noble  inhabitants; 
besides,"  added  she,  with  a  sad  smile, 
"the  gloomy  and  sombre  part  of  my  story 
remains  to  be  told.  When  you  shall  have 
listened  to  it,  you  will  then  understand  why 
it  is  that  I  feel  sad  and  weep,  when  the 
remembrances  of  the  past  come  crowding 
in  my  heart.  But  to  resume:  contiguous  to 
the  village  ground  lay  the  pasture  grounds, 
well  fenced  in,  and  which  were  known  as 
the  common.  In  these  grounds,  the 
cattle  of  the  colonists  were  kept,  and  thus 
secured  in  that  safe  enclosure,  our  herds 
increased  every  year.  Thus  you  see, 
petiots,  we  lacked  none  of  the  comforts  of 
life,  and  although  not  wealthy,  we  were 
not  in  want,  as  our  wishes  were  few  and 
easily  satisfied. 


Acadian  Reminiscences  31 

''Plainness  and  simplicity  of  manners  are 
the  mainsprings  of  happiness,  and  he  that 
wishes  for  what  he  may  never  have  or  ac- 
quire, must  be  miserable,  indeed,  and 
worthy  of  pity.  Alas!  that  this  simplicity 
of  our  Acadian  manners  should  have  al- 
ready degenerated  into  extravagance  and 
follyl  Ah!  the  Acadians  are  losing,  by  de- 
grees, the  remembrance  of  the  traditions 
and  customs  of  the  mother  country;  the 
love  of  gold  has  implanted  itself  in  their 
hearts,  and  this  will  bring  no  happiness  to 
them.  Ere  you  live  to  be  as  old  as  I,"  she 
would  say  shaking  her  head  mournfully, 
"you  will  find  out  that  your  grandmother 
is  right  in  her  prediction. 

"In  Acadia,  as  we  prized  temperance, 
sobriety  and  simplicity  of  manners  more 
than  riches,  early  marriages  were  highly 
favored.  Early  marriages  foster  the  virtues 
which  give  to  man  the  only  true  happiness, 
and  from  which  he  derives  health  and 
longevity. 

"No  obstacle  was  thrown  in  the  way  of 


32  Acadian  Reminiscences 

a  loving  couple  who  desired  to  marry. 
The  lover  accepted  by  the  maiden  obtained 
the  ready  consent  of  the  parents,  and  no 
one  dreamed  of  inquiring  whether  the 
lover  was  a  man  of  means,  or  whether  the 
destined  bride  brought  a  handsome  dowry, 
as  we  are  wont  to  do  nowadays.  Their 
mutual  choice  proved  satisfactory  to  all; 
and,  indeed,  who  better  than  they  could 
mate  their  hearts,  when  they  alone  were 
staking  their  happiness  on  the  venture? 
and,  besides,  it  is  not  often  that  marriages 
founded  on  mutual  love  turn  out  badly. 

"The  bans  were  published  in  the  village 
church,  and  the  old  curate,  after  admonish- 
ing them  of  the  sacredness  of  the  tie  that 
bound  them  forever,  blessed  their  union, 
while  the  holy  sacrifice  of  mass  was  being 
said.  Petiots,  it  is  useless  for  me  to  de- 
scribe the  marriage  ceremony  and  the  re- 
joicings attending  the  nuptials,  as  you  have 
witnessed  the  like  here,  but  I  will  speak 
to  you  of  an  old  Acadian  custom  which 
prevails  no  more  among  us,  one  which  we 
no  longer  observe. 


Acadian  Reminiscences  33 

"As  soon  as  the  marriage  of  a  young 
couple  was  determined,  the  men  of  the 
village,  after  having  built  a  cozy  little  home 
for  them,  cleared  and  planted  the  land 
parceled  out  to  them;  and  while  they  so 
generously  extended  their  aid  and  as- 
sistance, the  women  were  not  laggards  in 
their  kindness  to  the  bride.  To  her  they 
made  presents  of  what  they  deemed  most 
necessary  for  the  comfort  and  utility  of  her 
household,  and  all  this  was  done  and  given 
with  honest  and  willing  hearts. 

' 'Everything  was  orderly  and  neat  in  the 
home  of  the  happy  couple,  and  after  the 
marriage  ceremony  in  the  church  and  the 
wedding  feast  at  the  home  of  the  bride's 
father,  the  happy  couple  were  escorted  to 
their  new  home  by  the  young  men  and  the 
young  maidens  of  the  village.  How  genial 
was  the  joy  that  warmed  our  hearts  and 
brightened  our  souls  on  these  occasions; 
how  noisy  and  light  the  gaiety  of  the  young 
people;  how  unalloyed  their  merriment  and 
happiness! 


Chapter 
Three 

I 


Rumors  or    \Var  Disturb 
the  Peace  ana  Quiet 

of  the  Acadians 


T 


•JjHUS  far,  petiots,  I  have  briefly 
depicted  to  you  the  simple 
manners  and  customs  of  the 
Acadians.  I  will  now  relate 
to  you  what  befell  them,  and 
how  a  cruel  war  sowed  ruin  and  desolation 
in  their  homes;  I  will  tell  you  how  they  were 
ruthlessly  treated  by  the  English,  driven 
away  from  Acadia,  and  despoiled  of  all  their 
worldly  goods  and  possessions;  how  they 
were  scattered  to  the  four  winds  as 
wretched  exiles,  and  how  the  very  name  of 
their  country  was  blotted  out  of  existence. 
My  narrative  will  not  be  gay,  petiots,  but 
it  is  meet  and  proper  that  you  should  know 
these  things,  and  that  you  should  learn 


38  Acadian  Reminiscences 

them  from  the  lips  of  the  witnesses  them- 
selves. 

"It  was  on  a  Sunday,  I  remember  this  as 
if  it  were  but  yesterday,  we  were  attending 
mass,  and  when  our  old  curate  ascended 
his  pulpit,  as  he  was  wont  to  do  every  Sun- 
day, he  announced  to  us  that  war  was 
being  waged  between  France  and  England. 
"My  children,"  said  he  in  sad  and  solemn 
tones,  "you  may  expect  to  witness  awful 
scenes  and  to  undergo  sore  trials,  but  God 
will  not  forsake  you  if  you  put  your  trust  in 
his  infinite  mercy";  and  then  kneeling 
down,  he  prayed  aloud  for  France,  and  we 
all  responded  to  his  fervent  voice,  and  said 
amen!  from  the  depths  of  our  hearts.  A 
painful  silence  prevailed  in  the  little  church 
until  mass  was  over;  it  seemed  as  if  every 
one  of  us  was  attending  the  funeral  of  a 
member  of  his  family.  As  we  left  the 
church,  the  people  grouped  themselves  on 
all  sides  to  discuss  the  sad  news.  There 
was  no  dancing  on  the  greensward  in  front 
of  the  little  church  that  day,  petiots,  and 


Acadian  Reminiscences  39 

we  retired  mournfully  and  quietly  to  our 
homes. 

"This  intelligence  troubled  us,  and  we 
tried,  in  vain,  to  shake  off  the  gloom  that 
darkened  our  souls.  When  we  conversed 
together,  the  words  died  on  our  lips,  and 
our  smiles  had  the  sadness  of  a  sob. 

"Ah!  Petiots,  war,  with  its  train  of  evils 
and  of  woes,  is  always  a  terrible  scourge, 
and  it  was  but  natural  that  we  should  pon- 
der mournfully  on  its  consequences  and 
dread  the  future.  England  had  enlisted 
hundreds  of  Indians  in  her  armies,  and  we 
knew  that  the  bloodthirsty  savages  spared 
no  one,  and  inflicted  the  most  exquisite 
tortures  on  their  prisoners;  they  dreamed 
of  nothing  but  incendiarism  and  massacre, 
and  these  were  the  troops  that  were  to  be 
let  loose  upon  us.  The  mere  thought  of 
facing  such  fiends,  was  enough  to  dismay 
the  stoutest  heart  and  to  disturb  the  peace 
and  quiet  of  a  community  like  ours.  We 
knew  not  what  to  resolve,  but,  come  what 
may,  we  were  determined  to  die,  rather 


40  Acadian  Reminiscences 

than  become  traitors  to  our  King  and  to 
our  God. 

"Then  we  argued  ourselves  into  a  differ- 
ent mood  by  thinking  that  this  news  might, 
after  all,  be  exaggerated,  and  that  our  ap- 
prehensions were  unfounded.  Why  should 
England  wage  war  upon  us?  Acadia,  so 
poor,  so  desolate,  so  sparsely  peopled,  was 
surely  not  worth  the  shedding  of  a 
single  drop  of  blood  for  its  conquest.  The 
storm  would  pass  by  without  even  ruffling 
our  peace  and  tranquillity.  We  argued 
thus  to  rid  ourselves  of  the  gloomy  fore- 
bodings that  troubled  us,  but  despite  our 
endeavors,  our  fears  haunted  us  and  made 
us  despondent  and  miserable. 

"The  news  that  reached  us,  now  and 
then,  were  far  from  being  encouraging. 
France,  whelmed  in  defeat,  seemed  to  have 
abandoned  us,  the  English  were  gaining 
ground,  and  our  Canadian  brothers  were 
calling  for  assistance.  Several  of  our  young 
men  resolved  to  join  them  to  fight  the 
battles  of  France  and  to  die  for  their 
country,  if  God  so  willed  it. 


Acadian  Reminiscences  41 

"Ahl  Petiots,  that  was  a  sad  day  in  the 
colony,  and  we  all  shed  bitter  tears.  The 
brave  young  men  that  were  sacrificing  their 
lives  so  nobly,  wept  with  us,  but  remained 
as  firm  as  rocks  in  their  resolve.  We 
had,  at  last,  realized  the  fact  that  the 
threatening  ruin  was  frowning  upon  us, 
and  that  it  had  struck  at  our  very  hearts. 

"  On  the  day  of  their  departure,  the 
noble  young  men  received  the  holy  com- 
munion, kneeling  before  the  altar,  and 
they  listened  to  the  encouraging  words  of 
the  old  curate,  while  every  one  wept  and 
sobbed  in  the  little  church.  After  having 
told  them  to  serve  the  king  faithfully  and 
to  love  God  above  all  else,  he  gave  them  his 
blessing,  while  big  tears  rolled  down  his 
cheeks.  Alas!  how  could  he  look  upon 
them  without  emotion  and  grief?  He  had 
christened  them  when  they  were  mere 
babes;  he  had  watched  them  grow  to  man- 
hood; he  knew  them  as  I  know  you,  and 
they  were  leaving  their  homes  and  those 
that  they  loved,  never,  perhaps  to  return. 


42  Acadian  R 


eminiscences 


"They  departed  from  St.  Gabriel,  sad 
but  resolute,  and  as  far  as  they  could  be 
seen,  marching  off,  they  waved  their  hand- 
kerchiefs as  a  last  farewell.  It  was  a  cruel 
day  to  us,  and  from  that  moment,  every 
thing  grew  from  bad  to  worse  in  Acadia. 


Chapter 
Four 


Threatening  Clouds  Overcast  the 
Acadian  Sky 

The  Elders  of  the  Colony  fifect  in  Council 
to  Discuss  the  Situation 

IX  months  passed  away  with- 
out  our  receiving  the  least  in- 
telligence  of  what  had  become 
of  our  brave  young  men. 
This  contributed,  not  a  little, 
to  increase  our  uneasiness,  and  to  sadden 
our  thoughts,  for  we  felt  in  our  hearts  that 
they  would  never  return.  Our  forebodings 
proved  too  well  founded,"  said  my  grand- 
mother, with  faltering  voice,  "we  have 
never  ascertained  their  fate.  We  knew, 
however,  that  the  war  was  still  progressing, 
and  that  the  French  were  losing  ground 
every  day.  The  English  directed  all  their 
efforts  against  Canada,  and  seemed  to  have 
lost  sight  of  Acadia  in  the  turmoil  and  fury  of 


46  Acadian  R 


eminigcences 


battle.  In  spite  of  our  anxiety  and  appre- 
hensions, the  peace  and  quiet  of  the  colony 
remained  unruffled.  Alas!  we  had  been 
lulled  to  security  by  deceitful  hopes,  and 
the  storm  that  had  swept  along  Canada, 
was  about  to  burst  upon  us  with  unchecked 
fury.  Our  day  of  trial  had  dawned,  and, 
doomed  victims  of  a  cruel  fate,  we  were 
about  to  undergo  sufferings  beyond  human 
endurance,  and  to  experience  unparalleled 
outrages  and  cruelties." 

Our  grandmother,  at  this  point,  was 
overcome  by  her  emotion  and  hung  her 
head  down.  Awed  into  admiration, 
mingled  with  reverence,  for  her  noble 
sentiments  and  for  the  ardent  love  she  still 
cherished  for  her  lost  country,  we  gazed 
upon  her  in  silence,  and  understood  now 
why  it  was  that  she  always  wept  when  she 
spoke  of  Acadia.  Having  mastered  her 
emotions,  she  brushed  away  her  tears  and 
resumed  her  narrative  as  follows. 

"Petiots,"  she  said  in  a  sweet  sad  tone, 
"your  grandmother  always  weeps  when 


Acadian  Reminiscences  47 

the  remembrance  of  her  sufferings  and 
of  her  wrongs  comes  back  to  her  heart. 
She  is  an  old  woman  and  her  tears  soothe 
her  grief.  Scars  of  a  wounded  heart  never 
heal  entirely;  joy  and  happiness  alone 
leave  no  trace  of  their  passage,  as  you  shall 
learn  hereafter.  But  why  should  I  speak 
thus  to  you?  Soon  enough  you  shall  learn 
more  from  the  teachings  of  grim  experi- 
ence, than  from  all  the  sayings  and  maxims, 
how  wise  and  judicious  soever  they  may 
be. 

"It  was  bruited  at  St.  Gabriel  that  the 
English  were  landing  troops  in  Acadia, 
whence  came  the  rumor,  no  one  could  tell, 
and  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  trace 
it  to  its  source,  and  yet,  uncertain  as  it  was, 
it  created  considerable  uneasiness  in  the 
community.  Bad  news  travels  fast,  petiots, 
and  it  looks  as  if  some  evil  genius  took  de- 
light to  despatch  winged  messengers  to 
scatter  the  tidings  broadcast  over  the  land. 
The  rumor  was  confirmed  in  a  manner  as 
tragical  as  it  was  unexpected. 


48  Acadian  Reminiscences 

"One  morning,  at  dawn  of  day,  a  young 
man  was  lying  unconscious  on  the  green 
near  the  church.  His  arm  was  shattered, 
and  he  had  bled  profusely;  it  was  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  that  we  restored  him  to 
life.  When  he  opened  his  eyes  his  looks 
were  wild  and  terrified,  and,  despite  his 
weakness,  he  made  a  desperate  effort  to 
rise  and  flee. 

"We  quieted  him  with  friendly  words, 
and  he  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  satisfaction. 
He  had  a  burning  fever,  and  his  parched 
lips  quivered  as  he  muttered  incoherent 
words.  We  removed  him  to  the  priest's 
house,  where  his  wounds  were  dressed, 
and  when  he  had  recovered  from  the  ex- 
haustion occasioned  by  the  loss  of  blood, 
he  related  to  us  what  had  happened  to  him, 
and  we  listened  to  his  words  with  breath- 
less suspense  and  anxiety. 

"The  English",  said  he,  "have  landed 
troops  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Acadia,  and 
are  committing  the  most  atrocious  cruel- 
ties. Their  inhumanity  surpasses  belief. 


Acadian  Reminiscences  49 

They  pillage  and  burn  our  villages,  and 
even  lay  sacrilegious  hands  on  the  sacred 
vessels  in  our  churches.  They  tear  the 
wives  from  their  husbands,  the  children 
from  their  parents,  and  they  drive  their  ill- 
fated  victims  to  the  seashore,  and  stow  them 
on  ships  which  sail  immediately  for  un- 
known lands.  They  spare  only  such  as 
become  traitors  to  their  Faith  and  to  their 
King.  They  raided  our  village  at  dusk 
yesterday,  and  have  perpetrated  there  the 
same  wanton  outrages  and  cruelties.  They 
reduced  it  to  ashes,  and  the  least  expostu- 
lation on  our  part  exposed  us  to  be  shot 
down  like  outlaws.  They  have  driven  its 
inhabitants  to  the  seashore  like  cattle,  and 
when  through  sheer  exhaustion,  one  of 
their  victims  fell  by  the  road  side,  I  have 
seen  the  fiends  compel  him  with  the  buts 
of  their  muskets,  to  rise  and  walk.  I  have 
escaped,  in  the  darkness  of  night,  with  an 
arm  shattered  by  a  random  shot,  and  I 
have  run  exhausted  by  the  loss  of  blood,  I 
fell  where  you  have  found  me.  They  will 


50  Acadian  Reminiscences 

overrun  Acadia,  and  they  will  not  spare 
you,  my  friends,  if  you  show  any  hostility 
to  them.  Your  town  will  be  raided  shortly, 
and  you  cannot  resist  them,  my  friends. 
Abandon  your  homes,  and  seek  safety 
elsewhere,  while  you  have  the  time  and 
chance  to  do  so. 

"You  may  well  imagine,  petiots,  that 
our  trouble  was  great  when  we  heard  this 
terrible  news.  We  stood  there,  not  know- 
ing what  to  do,  although  time  wasprecious, 
and  although  it  was  necessary  that  we 
should  devise  some  plan  for  our  safety  and 
protection.  In  our  predicament  and 
in  so  critical  an  emergency,  our  only  al- 
ternative was  to  apply  to  our  old  curate 
for  advice. 

"He  gave  us  words  of  encouragement, 
and  withdrew  with  our  elders  to  his  room. 
We  remained  in  the  churchyard,  grouped 
together  and  speaking  in  whispers,  our 
souls  harrowed  by  the  most  gloomy  and 
despairing  thoughts. 

"Ah!  Petiots,  we  often  speak  of  a  mortal 


Acadian  Reminiscences  51 

hour,  but  the  hour  that  passed  away  while 
these  men  were  holding  counsel  in  the 
curate's  room,  seemed  to  encompass  a 
year's  duration.  Our  happiness,  our  all, 
our  life  itself,  in  fact,  were  at  stake  and 
turned  on  their  decision,  and  we  awaited 
that  decision  in  dreadful  suspense.  At  last 
our  elders,  accompanied  by  our  old  curate, 
sallied  out  of  that  house  with  sorrowful 
countenances,  but  with  steady  step  and 
firm  resolve  written  on  their  brows." 


Chapter 
Five 


Tke  Acadians  resolve  to  leave 
Acadia  as  exiles 

rather   than  submit  to  English  rule  —  Before  leaving 

St.  Gaoriel,  they  afaply  the  torch  to  the  nouses, 

ana  it  is  swe£t  away  by  the  flames. 


T 


IHEIR  countenance  bespoke 
|  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  far 
more  serious,  indeed,  than  we 
)  then  realized,  and  as  they  ap- 
proached us,  in  the  deathlike 
silence  that  prevailed,  we  could  distinctly 
hear  the  throbbings  of  our  hearts.  We  were 
impatient  to  learn  our  fate,  and  yet  we 
dreaded  the  disclosure.  Our  anxiety  was 
of  short  duration,  and  one  of  our  elders 
spoke  as  follows.  I  repeat  his  very  words, 
for  as  they  fell  from  his  lips  with  the 
solemn  sound  of  a  funeral  knell,  they  be- 
came engraved  upon  my  heart.  "My 
good  friends,"  said  he,  uour  hopes  were 
illusory  and  the  future  is  big  with  ominous 


56  Acadian  R 


emmiscences 


threats  for  us.  A  cruel  and  relentless 
enemy  is  at  our  doors.  The  story  of  the 
wounded  man  is  true;  the  English  are  ap- 
plying the  torch  to  our  villages,  and  are 
spreading  and  scattering  ruin  as  they  ad- 
vance. They  spare  neither  old  age  nor 
infirmity,  neither  women  nor  children,  and 
are  tender-hearted  only  to  renegades  and 
apostates.  Are  you  ready  to  accept  these 
humiliating  conditions,  and  to  be  branded 
as  traitors  and  cowards?" 

"Never,"  we  answered;  "never!  Rather 
proscription,  ruin  and  death." 

"My  friends,"  he  added,  "exile  is  ruin; 
it  is  despair;  it  is  desolation.  Pause  a  while 
and  reflect,  before  forming  your  resolve." 

"Not  one  of  us  flinched,  and  without 
hesitancy,  we  all  cried  out:  "Rather  than 
disown  our  mother  country  and  become 
apostates,  let  exile,  let  ruin,  let  death,  be 
our  lot." 

"Your  answer  is  noble  and  generous, 
my  good  friends,  and  your  resolve  is 
sublime,"  said  he  ;  "then  let  exile  be  our 


Acadian  Reminiscences  57 

lot.  Many  a  one  has  suffered  even  more 
than  we  shall  suffer  and  for  causes  less 
saintly  than  ours.  Let  us  prepare  for  the 
worst,  for  to-day,  we  bid  adieu  forever, 
perhaps  to  Acadia,  to  our  homes,  to  the 
graves  of  those  we  loved  so  well.  We  leave 
friendless  and  penniless  for  distant  lands ; 
we  leave  for  Louisiana,  where  we  shall  be 
free  to  honor  and  reverence  France,  and 
to  serve  our  God  according  to  our  belief. 
My  good  friends,  we  barely  have  the  time 
to  prepare  ourselves;  to-night,  we  must 
be  far  from  St.  Gabriel." 

"These  words  chilled  our  hearts.  It 
seemed  to  us,  that  all  this  was  a  dream,  a 
frightful  illusion,  that  clung  to  our  hearts, 
to  our  souls;  and  yet,  without  a  tear,  with- 
out a  complaint,  we  resigned  ourselves  to 
our  fate. 

"Ah!  it  was  a  cruel  day  to  us,  petiots. 
We  were  leaving  Acadia,  we  were  aban- 
doning the  homes  where  our  children 
were  born  and  raised,  we  were  leaving  as 
malefactors,  without  one  ray  of  hope  to 


58  Acadian  Reminiscences 

lighten  our  dark  future,  and  it  seemed  to 
us  that  poor,  desolate  Acadia  was  dearer 
to  us,  now  that  we  were  forced  to  leave 
her  forever.  Everything  that  we  saw, 
every  object  that  we  touched,  recalled  to 
our  hearts  some  sweet  remembrance  of 
days  gone  by.  Our  whole  life  seemed 
centered  in  the  furniture  of  our  desolate 
homes;  in  the  flowers  that  decked  our 
gardens;  in  the  very  trees  that  shaded  our 
yards.  They  whispered  to  us  ditties  of 
our  blithe  childhood;  they  recalled  to  us 
the  glowing  dreams  of  our  adolescence 
illumined  with  their  fleeting  illusions;  they 
spoke  to  us  of  the  hopes  and  happiness  of 
our  maturer  years;  they  had  been  the  mute 
witnesses  of  our  joys  and  of  our  sorrows, 
and  we  were  leaving  them  forever.  As 
we  gazed  upon  them,  we  wept  bitterly, 
and  in  our  despair,  we  felt  as  if  the  sacri- 
fice was  beyond  our  strength.  But  our 
sense  of  duty  nerved  us,  and  the  terrible 
ordeal  we  were  undergoing  did  not  shake 
our  resolve,  and  submitting  to  the  will  of 


Acadian  Reminiscences  59 

God,  we  preferred  exile  and  poverty,  with 
their  train  of  woes  and  humiliations,  be- 
fore dishonoring  ourselves  by  becoming 
traitors  and  renegades. 

uln  the  course  of  the  day  our  grief  in- 
creased, and  the  scenes  that  took  place 
were  heart-rending.  I  never  recall  them 
without  shuddering. 

"Our  people,  so  meek,  so  peaceable, 
became  frenzied  with  despair.  The 
women  and  children  wandered  from  house 
to  house,  wailing  and  uttering  piercing 
cries.  Every  object  of  spoil  was  destroyed, 
and  the  torch  was  applied  to  the  houses. 
The  fire,  fanned  by  a  too  willing  breeze, 
spread  rapidly,  and  in  a  moment's  time, 
St.  Gabriel  was  wrapt  in  a  lurid  sheet  of 
devouring  flames.  We  could  hear  the 
cracking  of  planks  tortured  by  the  blaze  ; 
the  crash  of  falling  roofs,  while  the  flames 
shot  up  to  an  immense  height  with  the 
hissing  and  soughing  of  a  hurricane.  Ah! 
Petiots,  it  was  a  fair  image  of  pande- 
monium. The  people  seemed  an  army  of 


60  Acadian  R 


emmiscences 


fiends,  spreading  ruin  and  desolation  in 
their  path.  The  work-oxen  were  killed, 
and  a  few  among  us,  with  the  hope  of  a 
speedy  return  to  Acadia,  threw  our  silver- 
ware into  the  wells.  Oh,  the  ruin,  the 
ruin,  petiots  ;  it  was  horrible. 

"We  left  St.  Gabriel  numbering  about 
three  hundred,  whilst  the  ashes  of  our 
burning  houses,  carried  by  the  wind, 
whirled  past  us  like  a  pillar  of  light  to 
guide  our  faltering  steps  through  the  wil- 
derness that  stretched  before  us. 


Chapter 
Six 


ANigntof  Terror  and  of  Misery.   Tne 

Exiles  are  Captured   by  tne 

English   Soldiery 

^Driven  to  the  seashore  and  embarked  -for  deportation 

—They  are  thrown  as  cast-aways  on  tne  wlary- 

land  shores — The  hospitality  and  generosity 

of  Charles  Smith  and  of  Henry  ^Brent 

*ae=*ac=*[jS  darkness  came,  we  cast  a  sad 

A  |  look  toward  the  spot  where 
our  peaceful  and  happy  St. 
)  Gabriel  once  stood.  Alas,  we 
could  see  nothing  but  the  crim- 
son sky  reflecting  the  lurid  glare  of  the 
flames  that  devoured  our  Acadian  villages. 
"Not  a  word  fell  from  our  lips  as  we 
journeyed  slowly  on,  and  as  night  came 
its  darkness  increased  our  misery,  and  such 
was  our  dejection,  that  we  would  have 
faced  death  without  a  shudder. 

"At  last  we  halted  in  a  deep  ravine  shad- 
owed by  projecting  rocks,  and  we  sat 
down  to  rest  our  weary  limbs.  We  built 
no  fires  and  spoke  only  in  whispers,  fear- 


64  Acadian  R 


emmiscences 


ing  that  the  blazing  fire,  that  the  least 
sound  might  betray  us  incur  place  of  con- 
cealment;  with  hearts  failing,  oppressed 
with  gloomy  forebodings,  the  events  of  the 
day  seemed  to  us  a  frightful  dream. 

uOh!  that  it  only  had  been  a  dream, 
petiots!  Alas!  it  was  a  sad  reality,  and  yet 
in  our  wretchedness,  we  could  hardly 
realize  that  these  events  had  actually  hap- 
pened. 

"Our  elders  had  withdrawn  a  few  paces 
away  from  us  to  decide  on  the  best  course 
to  pursue,  for,  in  the  hurry  of  our  de- 
parture, no  plan  of  action  had  been 
decided  upon,  our  main  object  being  to 
escape  the  outrages  and  ill-treatment  of  a 
merciless  and  cruel  soldiery.  It  was  de- 
cided to  reach  Canada  the  best  way  we 
could,  after  which,  after  crossing  the  great 
northern  lakes,  our  journey  was  to  be  over- 
land to  the  Mississippi  river,  on  whose 
waters  we  would  float  down  to  Louisiana, 
a  French  colony  inhabited  by  people  of 
our  own  race,  and  professing  the  same 
religious  creed  as  ours. 


Acadian  Reminiscences  65 

"But  to  carry  out  this  plan,  petiots,  we 
had  to  travel  thousands  of  miles  through 
a  country  barren  of  civilization,  through 
endless  forests,  and  across  lakes  as  wide 
and  deep  as  the  sea;  we  were  to  overcome 
obstacles  without  number  and  to  en- 
counter dangers  and  hardships  at  every 
step,  and  yet  we  remained  firm  in  our  re- 
solve. It  was  exile  with  its  train  of  woes 
and  of  misery ;  it  was,  perhaps,  death  for 
many  of  us,  but  we  submitted  to  our  fate, 
sacrificing  our  all  in  this  world  for  our 
religion,  and  for  the  love  of  France. 

"We  knelt  down  to  implore  the  aid  and 
protection  of  God  in  the  many  dangers 
that  beset  us,  and,  trusting  in  His  kind 
Providence,  we  lay  down  on  the  bare 
ground  to  sleep. 

uAs  you  may  imagine,  petiots,  no  one, 
save  the  little  children  slept  that  night. 
We  were  in  a  state  of  mental  anguish  so 
agonizing  that  the  hours  passed  away 
without  bringing  the  sweet  repose  of  a 
refreshing  sleep. 


66  Acadian  R 


emimscences 


"When  the  moon  rose,  dispelling  by 
degrees  the  darkness  of  night,  we  again 
pursued  our  journey.  We  made  the  least 
noise  possible  as  we  advanced  cautiously, 
our  fears  and  apprehensions  increasing  at 
every  step.  All  at  once  our  column 
halted;  a  deathlike  silence  prevailed,  and 
our  hearts  beat  tumultuously  within  us. 
Was  it  the  beat  of  the  drum  that  had 
startled  us  ?  No  one  could  tell.  We 
listened  with  eagerness,  but  the  sound  had 
died  away,  and  the  stillness  of  night  re- 
mained undisturbed.  Our  anxiety  be- 
came intense.  Was  the  enemy  in  pursuit 
of  us?  We  remained  in  painful  suspense, 
not  knowing  what  danger  lurked  ahead  of 
us.  The  few  minutes  that  succeeded 
seemed  as  long  as  a  whole  year.  We 
drew  close  together  and  whispered  our  ap- 
prehensions to  one  another.  We  moved 
on  slowly,  our  footsteps  falling  noiselessly 
on  the  roadway,  while  we  strained  our 
eyes  to  pierce  the  shadows  of  night  to  dis- 
cover the  cause  of  our  fears.  The  sound 


Acadian  Reminiscences  67 

that  had  startled  us  was  no  more  heard, 
and  somewhat  encouraged,  our  uneasiness 
grew  less. 

"We  had  not  advanced  two  hundred 
yards  when  we  were  halted  by  a  company 
of  English  soldiers.  Ah!  Petiots,  our 
doom  was  sealed.  We  were  in  a  narrow 
path  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  without 
the  possibility  of  escape,  How  shall  I  de- 
scribe what  followed.  The  women  wrung 
their  hands  and  sobbed  piteously  in  their 
despair.  The  children,  terrified,  uttered 
shrill  and  piercing  cries,  while  the  men, 
goaded  to  madness,  vented  their  rage  in 
hurried  exclamations,  and  were  deter- 
mined to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as  pos- 
sible. 

"After  a  while,  the  tumult  subsided,  and 
order  was  somewhat  restored. 

"The  officer  in  command  approached 
us;  "Acadians,"  said  he,  "you  have  fled 
from  your  homes  after  having  reduced 
them  to  ashes ;  you  have  used  seditious 
language  against  England,  and  we  find 


68  Acadian  Reminiscences 

you  here,  in  the  depth  of  night,  con- 
gregated and  conspiring  against  the  king, 
our  liege  lord  and  sovereign.  You  are 
traitors  and  you  should  be  treated  as  such, 
but  in  his  clemency,  the  king  offers  his 
pardon  to  all  who  will  swear  fealty  and 
allegiance  to  him." 

"Sir,"  answered  Rene  Leblanc,  under 
whose  guidance  we  had  left  St.  Gabriel, 
"our  king  is  the  king  of  France,  and  we  are 
not  traitors  to  the  king  of  England  whose 
subjects  we  are  not.  If  by  the  force  of 
arms  you  have  conquered  this  country,  we 
are  willing  to  recognize  your  supremacy, 
but  we  are  not  willing  to  submit  to  English 
rule,  and  for  that  reason,  we  have  aban- 
doned our  homes  to  emigrate  to  Louisiana, 
to  seek  there,  under  the  protection  of  the 
French  flag,  the  quiet  and  peace  and  hap- 
piness we  have  enjoyed  here." 

"The  officer  who  had  listened  with 
folded  arms  to  the  noble  words  of  Rene 
Leblanc,  replied  with  a  scowl  of  hatred  : 
"To  Louisiana  you  wish  to  go?  To 


Acadian  Reminiscences  69 

Louisiana  you  shall  go,  and  seek  in  vain, 
under  the  French  flag,  that  protection  you 
have  failed  to  receive  from  it  in  Canada. 
Soldiers,"  he  added,  with  a  smile  that 
made  us  shudder,  "escort  these  worthy 
patriots  to  the  seashore,  where  transporta- 
tion will  be  given  them  free  in  his  majesty's 
ships." 

"These  words  sounded  like  a  death 
knell  to  us  ;  we  saw  plainly  that  our  doom 
was  sealed,  and  that  we  were  undone  for- 
ever, and  yet,  in  the  bitterness  of  our  mis- 
fortune, we  uttered  no  word  of  expostula- 
tion, and  submitted  to  our  fate  without 
complaint.  They  treated  us  most  brutally, 
and  had  no  regard  either  for  age  or  for  sex. 
They  drove  us  back  through  the  forest  to 
the  sea  shore,  where  their  ships  were  an- 
chored, and  stowing  the  greater  number 
of  our  party  in  one  of  their  ships,  they 
weighed  anchor,  and  she  set  sail.  The 
balance  of  our  people  had  been  embarked 
on  another  vessel  which  had  departed  in 
advance  of  ours. 


70  Acadian  Reminiscences 

"Is  it  necessary,  petiots,  that  I  should 
speak  to  you  of  our  despair  when  thus 
torn  from  our  relatives  and  friends,  when 
we  saw  ourselves  cooped  up  in  the  hull  of 
that  ship  as  malefactors?  Is  it  necessary 
that  I  should  describe  the  horror  of  our 
plight,  our  sufferings,  our  mental  anguish 
during  the  many  days  that  our  voyage  on 
the  sea  lasted? 

"This  can  be  more  easily  imagined  than 
depicted.  We  were  huddled  in  a  space 
scarcely  large  enough  to  contain  us.  The 
air  rarefied  by  our  breathing  became  un- 
wholesome and  oppressive  ;  we  could  not 
lie  down  to  rest  our  weary  limbs.  With 
but  scant  food,  with  the  water  given 
grudgingly  to  us,  barely  enough  to  wet 
our  parched  lips ;  with  no  one  to  care  for 
us,  you  can  well  imagine  that  our  suffer- 
ings became  unbearable.  Yet,  when  we 
expostulated  with  our  jailers,  and  com- 
plained bitterly  of  the  excess  of  our  woes, 
it  seemed  to  rejoice  them.  They  derided 
us,  called  us  noble  patriots,  stubborn 


Acadian  Reminiscences  71 

French  people  and  papists  ;  epithets  that 
went  right  to  our  hearts,  and  added  to  our 
misery. 

"At  last  our  ship  was  anchored,  and  we 
were  told  that  we  had  reached  the  place  of 
our  destination.  Was  it  Louisiana?  we 
inquired.  Rude  scoffs  and  sharp  invec- 
tives were  their  only  answer.  We  were 
disembarked  with  the  same  ruthless  brutal- 
ity with  which  we  had  been  dragged  to 
their  ship.  They  landed  us  on  a  precip- 
itous and  rocky  shore,  and  leaving  us  a 
few  rations,  saluted  us  in  derision  with 
their  caps  and  bidding  farewell  to  the 
noble  patriots,  as  they  called  us.  Our 
anguish,  at  that  "moment,  can  hardly  be 
conceived.  We  were  outcasts  in  a  strange 
land ;  we  were  friendless  and  penniless, 
with  a  few  rations  thrown  to  us  as  to  dogs. 
The  sun  had  now  set,  and  we  were  in  an 
agony  of  despair. 

"Our  only  hope  rested  in  the  mercy  of 
a  kind  Providence,  and  with  hearts  too  full 
for  utterance,  we  knelt  down  with  one 


72  Acadian  R 


emmiscences 


accord  and  silently  besought  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  to  vouchsafe  to  us  that  pity  and  pro- 
tection which  he  gives  to  the  most  abject 
of  his  creatures.  Never  was  a  more  heart- 
felt prayer  wafted  to  God's  throne.  When 
we  arose,  hope,  once  more  smiling  to  us, 
irradiated  our  souls  and  dispelled,  as  if  by 
magic,  the  gloom  that  had  settled  in  our 
hearts.  We  felt  that  none  but  noble 
causes  lead  to  martyrdom,  and  we  looked 
upon  ourselves  as  martyrs  of  a  saintly 
cause,  and  with  a  clear  conscience,  we  lay 
down  to  sleep  under  the  blue  canopy  of 
the  heavens. 

"The  dawn  of  day  found  us  scattered  in 
groups,  discussing  the  course  we  were  to 
pursue,  and  our  hearts  grew  faint  anew  at 
the  thought  of  the  unknown  trials  that 
awaited  us. 

" At  that  moment,  we  spied  two  horse- 
men approaching  our  camp.  Our  hearts 
fluttered  with  emotion.  The  incident, 
simple  as  it  was,  proved  to  be  of  great  im- 
portance to  us.  We  felt  as  if  Providence 


Acadian  Reminiscences  73 

had  not  forsaken  us,  and  that  the  two 
horsemen,  heralds  of  peace  and  joy,  were 
his  messengers  of  love  in  our  sore  trials. 

"We  were  not  mistaken,  petiots.  When 
the  cavaliers  alighted,  they  addressed  us  in 
English,  but  in  words  so  soft  and  kind,  that 
the  sound  of  the  hated  language  did  not 
grate  on  our  ears,  and  seemed  as  sweet  as 
that  of  our  own  tongue.  They  bowed 
gracefully  to  us,  and  introduced  them- 
selves as  Charles  Smith  and  Henry  Brent. 
uWe  are  informed,"  said  they,  "that  you 
are  exiles,  and  that  you  have  been  cast 
penniless  on  our  shores.  We  have  come 
to  greet  you,  and  to  welcome  you  to  the* 
hospitality  of  our  roofs."  These  kind 
words  sank  deep  in  our  hearts.  "Good 
sirs,"  answered  Rene  Leblanc,  "you  be- 
hold a  wretched  people  bereft  of  their 
homes  and  whose  only  crime  is  their  love 
for  France  and  their  devotion  to  the 
Catholic  faith,"  and  saying  this,  he  raised 
his  hat,  and  every  man  of  our  party  did 
the  same.  "We  thank  you  heartily  for 


74  Acadian  Reminiscences 

your  greeting  and  for  your  hospitality  so 
generously  tendered.  See,  we  number 
over  two  hundred  persons,  and  it  would 
be  taxing  your  generosity  too  heavily  ;  no 
one  but  a  king  could  accomplish  your 
noble  design." 

"Sir,"  they  answered,  "we  are  citizens 
of  Maryland,  and  we  own  large  estates. 
We  have  everything  in  abundance  at  our 
homes,  and  this  abundance  we  are  willing 
to  share  with  you.  Accept  our  offer,  and 
the  Brent  and  Smith  families  will  ever  be 
grateful  to  God,  who  has  given  them  the 
means  to  minister  to  your  wants,  assuage 
your  afflictions  and  soothe  your  sorrows." 

"How  could  we  decline  an  offer  so  gen- 
erously made  ?  It  was  impossible  for  us 
to  find  words  expressive  of  our  gratitude. 
Unable  to  utter  a  single  word,  we  shook 
hands  with  them,  but  our  silence  was  far 
more  eloquent  than  any  language  we  could 
have  used. 


Chapter 
Seven 

8 


3 

'5 


1 

a 


Sfssisted  by  Tneir  Generous 
Friends 

The  Acadians  become  £ros£erous,  lut  yearn  to   rejoin 
tneir  friends  and  relatives  in  Louisiana 

IHE   same  day,   we    moved    to 

T  their  farms,  which  lay  near  by, 
and  I  shall  never  forget  the 
kind  welcome  we  received 
from  these  two  families.  They 
vied  with  each  other  in  their  kind  offices 
toward  us,  and  ministered  to  our  wants 
with  so  much  grace  and  affability,  that  it 
gave  additional  charm  and  value  to  their 
already  boundless  hospitality. 

"Petiots,  let  the  names  of  Brent  and  of 
Smith  remain  enchased  forever  like  pre- 
cious jewels  in  your  hearts;  let  their  re- 
membrance never  fade  from  your  mem- 
ory, for  more  generous  and  worthier 
beings  never  breathed  the  pure  air  of 
heaven. 


78  Acadian  Reminiscences 

"Thus  it  was,  petiots,  that  we  settled  in 
Maryland  after  leaving  Acadia. 

"Three  years  passed  away  peacefully 
and  happily,  and  during  the  whole  of  that 
time,  the  Smith  and  Brent  families  re- 
mained our  steadfast  friends.  Our  party 
had  prospered,  and  plenty  smiled  once 
more  in  our  homes.  We  lived  as  happy 
as  exiles  could  live  away  from  the  father- 
land, ignorant  of  the  fate  of  those  who 
had  been  torn  from  us  so  ruthlessly.  In 
vain  we  had  endeavored  to  ascertain  the 
lot  of  our  friends  and  relatives,  and  what 
had  become  of  them;  we  could  learn 
nothing.  Many  parents  wept  for  their 
lost  children;  many  a  disconsolate  wife 
pined  away  in  sorrow  and  hopeless  grief 
for  a  lost  husband;  but,  petiots,  the  sad- 
dest of  all  was  the  fate  of  poor  Emmeline 
Labiche. 

"Emmeline  Labiche?  Who  was  Emme- 
line Labiche?  We  had  never  heard  her 
name  mentioned  before,  and  our  curiosity 
was  excited  to  the  highest  pitch. 


Chapter 

Eiglit 

9 


Rvangeline 


By  Edwin  Douglas 


(Tke    True    Story 


Evangehne 

JIMMELINE  Labiche,  petiots, 

Ei  was  an  orphan  whose  parents 
j  had  died  when  she  was  quite 
V  a  child.  I  had  taken  her  to 
**  "  my  home,  and  had  raised  her 
as  my  own  daughter.  How  sweet-tem- 
pered, how  loving  she  was!  She  had 
grown  to  womanhood  with  all  the  attrac- 
tions of  her  sex,  and,  although  not  a 
beauty  in  the  sense  usually  given  to  that 
word,  she  was  looked  upon  as  the  hand- 
somest girl  of  St.  Gabriel.  Her  soft, 
transparent  hazel  eyes  mirrored  her  pure 
thoughts;  her  dark  brown  hair  waved  in 
graceful  undulations  on  her  intelligent 
forehead,  and  fell  in  ringlets  on  hershoul- 


82  Acadian  R 


emmiscences 


ders;  her  bewitching  smile,  her  slender, 
symmetrical  shape,  all  contributed  to  make 
her  a  most  attractive  picture  of  maiden 
loveliness. 

"Emmeline,  who  had  just  completed 
her  sixteenth  year,  was  on  the  eve  of  mar- 
rying a  most  deserving,  laborious  and  well- 
to-do  young  man  of  St.  Gabriel,  Louis 
Arceneaux.  Their  mutual  love  dated  from 
their  earliest  years,  and  all  agreed  that 
Providence  willed  their  union  as  man  and 
wife,  she  the  fairest  young  maiden,  he  the 
most  deserving  youth  of  St.  Gabriel. 

"Their  bans  had  been  published  in  the 
village  church,  the  nuptial  day  was  fixed, 
and  their  long  love-dream  was  about  to  be 
realized,  when  the  barbarous  scattering  of 
our  colony  took  place. 

"Our  oppressors  had  driven  us  to  the 
seashore,  where  their  ships  rode  at  anchor, 
when  Louis,  resisting,  was  brutally 
wounded  by  them.  Emmeline  had  wit- 
nessed the  whole  scene.  Her  lover  was 
carried  on  board  of  one  of  the  ships,  the 


Acadian  Reminiscences  83 

anchor  was  weighed,  and  a  stiff  breeze 
soon  drove  the  vessel  out  of  sight.  Emme- 
line,  tearless  and  speechless,  stood  fixed 
to  the  spot,  motionless  as  a  statue,  and 
when  the  white  sail  vanished  in  the  dis- 
tance, she  uttered  a  wild,  piercing  shriek, 
and  fell  fainting  to  the  ground. 

"When  she  came  to,  she  clasped  me  in 
her  arms,  and  in  an  agony  of  grief,  she 
sobbed  piteously.  "Mother,  mother," 
she  said,  in  broken  words,  uhe  is  gone; 
they  have  killed  him;  what  will  become 
of  me?" 

"I  soothed  her  grief  with  endearing 
words  until  she  wept  freely.  Gradually 
its  violence  subsided,  but  the  sadness  of 
her  countenance  betokened  the  sorrow 
that  preyed  on  her  heart,  never  to  be  con- 
taminated by  her  love  for  another  one. 

Thus  she  lived  in  our  midst,  always 
sweet  tempered,  but  with  such  sadness 
depicted  in  her  countenance,  and  with 
smiles  so  sorrowful,  that  we  had  come  to 
look  upon  her  as  not  of  this  earth,  but 


84  Acadian  Reminiscences 

rather  as  our  guardian  angel,  and  this  is 
why  we  called  her  no  longer  Emmeline, 
but  Evangeline,  or  God's  little  angel. 

"The  sequel  of  her  story  is  not  gay, 
petiots,  and  my  poor  old  heart  breaks, 
whenever  I  recall  the  misery  of  her  fate," 
and  while  our  grandmother  spoke  thus, 
her  whole  figure  was  tremulous  with 
emotion. 

"Grandmother,"  we  said,  "we  feel  so 
interested  in  Evangeline,  God's  little 
angel;  do  tell  us  what  befell  her  after- 
wards." 

"Petiots,  how  can  I  refuse  to  comply 
with  your  request?  I  will  now  tell  you 
what  became  of  poor  Emmeline,"  and 
after  remaining  a  while  in  thoughtful 
revery,  she  resumed  her  narrative. 

"Emmeline,  petiots,  had  been  exiled  to 
Maryland  with  me.  She  was,  as  I  have 
told  you,  my  adopted  child.  She  dwelt 
with  me,  and  she  followed  me  in  my  long 
pilgrimage  from  Maryland  to  Louisiana. 
I  shall  not  relate  to  you  now  the  many 


Acadian  Reminiscences  85 

dangers  that  beset  us  on  our  journey,  and 
the  many  obstacles  we  had  to  overcome  to 
reach  Louisiana;  this  would  be  anticipating 
what  remains  for  me  to  tell  you.  When 
we  reached  the  Teche  country,  at  the 
Poste  des  Attakapas,  we  found  there  the 
whole  population  congregated  to  welcome 
us.  As  we  went  ashore,  Emmeline  walked 
by  my  side,  but  seemed  not  to  admire  the 
beautiful  landscape  that  unfolded  itself  to 
our  gaze.  Alas!  it  was  of  no  moment  to 
her  whether  she  strolled  on  the  poetical 
banks  of  the  Teche,  or  rambled  in  the 
picturesque  sites  of  Maryland.  She  lived 
in  the  past,  and  her  soul  was  absorbed  in 
the  mournful  regret  of  that  past.  For  her, 
the  universe  had  lost  the  prestige  of  its 
beauties,  of  its  freshness,  of  its  splendors. 
The  radiance  of  her  dreams  was  dimmed, 
and  she  breathed  in  an  atmosphere  of  dark- 
ness and  of  desolation. 

"She  walked  beside  me  with  a  measured 
step.  All  at  once,  she  grasped  my  hand, 
and,  as  if  fascinated  by  some  vision,  she 


86  Acadian  Reminiscences 

stood  rooted  to  the  spot.  Her  very  heart's 
blood  suffused  her  cheeks,  and  with  the 
silvery  tones  of  a  voice  vibrating  with  joy: 
"Mother!  Mother!"  she  cried  out,  "it  is 
he!  It  is  Louis!"  pointing  to  the  tall  figure 
of  a  man  reclining  under  a  large  oak  tree. 

"That  man  was  Louis  Arceneaux. 

"With  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  she  flew 
to  his  side,  and  in  an  ecstacy  of  joy: 
"Louis,  Louis,"  said  she,  "I  am  your 
Emmeline,  your  long  lost  Emmeline! 
Have  you  forgotten  me?" 

"Louis  turned  ashy  pale  and  hung  down 
his  head,  without  uttering  a  word. 

"Louis,"  said  she,  painfully  impressed 
by  her  lover's  silence  and  coldness,  "why 
do  you  turn  away  from  me?  I  am  still  your 
Emmeline,  your  betrothed,  and  I  have 
kept  pure  and  unsullied  my  plighted  faith 
to  you.  Not  a  word  of  welcome,  Louis?" 
she  said,  as  the  tears  started  to  her  eyes. 
"Tell  me,  do  tell  me  that  you  love  me 
still,  and  that  the  joy  of  meeting  me  has 
overcome  you,  and  stifled  your  utterance." 


Acadian  Reminiscences  87 

"Louis  Arceneaux,  with  quivering  lips 
and  tremulous  voice,  answered:  "Emme- 
line, speak  not  so  kindly  to  me,  for  I  am 
unworthy  of  you.  I  can  love  you  no 
longer;  I  have  pledged  my  faith  to  an- 
other. Tear  from  your  heart  the  remem- 
brance of  the  past,  and  forgive  me,"  and 
with  quick  step,  he  walked  away,  and  was 
soon  lost  to  view  in  the  forest. 

"Poor  Emmeline  stood  trembling  like 
an  aspen  leaf.  I  took  her  hand;  it  was  icy 
cold.  A  deathly  pallor  had  overspread 
her  countenance,  and  her  eye  had  a 
vacant  stare. 

"Emmeline,  my  dear  girl,  come,"  said 
I,  and  she  followed  me  like  a  child.  I 
clasped  her  in  my  arms.  "Emmeline,  my 
dear  child,  be  comforted;  there  may  yet 
be  happiness  in  store  for  you. 

"Emmeline,  Emmeline,"  she  muttered 
in  an  undertone,  as  if  to  recall  that  name, 
"who  is  Emmeline?"  Then  looking  in 
my  face  with  fearful  shining  eyes  that 
made  me  shudder,  she  said  in  a  strange, 


88  Acadian  Reminiscences 

unnatural  voice:  "Who  are  you?"  and 
turned  away  from  me.  Her  mind  was 
unhinged;  this  last  shock  had  been  too 
much  for  her  broken  heart;  she  was  hope- 
lessly insane. 

"How  strange  it  is,  petiots,  that  beings, 
pure  and  celestial  like  Emmeline,  should 
be  the  sport  of  fate,  and  be  thus  exposed 
to  the  shafts  of  adversity.  Is  it  true,  then, 
that  the  beloved  of  God  are  always  visited 
by  sore  trials?  Was  it  that  Emmeline  was 
too  ethereal  a  being  for  this  world,  and 
that  God  would  have  her  in  his  sweet 
paradise?  It  does  not  belong  to  us, 
petiots,  to  solve  this  mystery  and  to  scru- 
tinize the  decrees  of  Providence;  we  have 
only  to  bow  submissive  to  his  will. 

"Emmeline  never  recovered  her  reason, 
and  a  deep  melancholy  settled  upon  her. 
Her  beautiful  countenance  was  fitfully 
lightened  by  a  sad  smile  which  made  her 
all  the  fairer.  She  never  recognized  any 
one  but  me,  and  nestling  in  my  arms  like 
a  spoiled  child,  she  would  give  me  the  most 


Acadian  Reminiscences  89 

endearing  names.  As  sweet  and  as  amiable 
as  ever,  every  one  pitied  and  loved  her. 

"When  poor,  crazed  Emmeline  strolled 
upon  the  banks  of  the  Teche,  plucking 
the  wild  flowers  that  strewed  her  pathway, 
and  singing  in  soft  tones  some  Acadian 
song,  those  that  met  her  wondered  why 
so  fair  and  gentle  a  being  should  have 
been  visited  with  God's  wrath. 

"She  spoke  of  Acadia  and  of  Louis  in 
such  loving  words,  that  no  one  could 
listen  to  her  without  shedding  tears.  She 
fancied  herself  still  the  girl  of  sixteen 
years,  on  the  eve  of  marrying  the  chosen 
one  of  her  heart,  whom  she  loved  with 
such  constancy  and  devotion,  and  imagin- 
ing that  her  marriage  bells  tolled  from  the 
village  church  tower,  her  countenance 
would  brighten,  and  her  frame  trembled 
with  ecstatic  joy.  And  then,  in  a  sudden 
transition  from  joy  to  despair,  her  coun- 
tenance would  change  and,  trembling  con- 
vulsively, gasping,  struggling  for  utter- 
ance, and  pointing  her  finger  at  some 


Acadian  Reminiscences 

invisible  object,  in  shrill  and  piercing  ac- 
cents, she  would  cry  out:  "Mother, 
mother,  he  is  gone;  they  have  killed  him; 
what  will  become  of  me?  And  uttering 
a  wild,  unnatural  shriek,  she  would  fall 
senseless  in  my  arms. 

"Sinking  at  last  under  the  ravages  of 
her  mental  disease,  she  expired  in  my 
arms  without  a  struggle,  and  with  an 
angelic  smile  on  her  lips. 

"She  now  sleeps  in  her  quiet  grave, 
shadowed  by  the  tall  oak  tree  near  the 
little  church  at  the  Poste  des  Attakapas, 
and  her  grave  has  been  kept  green  and 
flower-strewn  as  long  as  your  grandmother 
has  been  able  to  visit  it.  Ah!  petiots,  how 
sad  was  the  fate  of  poor  Emmeline,  Evan- 
geline,  God's  little  angel." 

And  burying  her  face  in  her  hands, 
grandmother  wept  and  sobbed  bitterly. 
Our  hearts  swelled  also  with  emotion,  and 
sympathetic  tears  rolled  down  our  cheeks. 
We  withdrew  softly  and  left  dear  grand- 
mother alone,  to  think  of  and  weep  for  her 
Evangeline,  God's  little  angel. 


Chapter 
Nine 


<The  Acadians  leave  Maryland 
to  go  to  Louisiana 

Their  perilous  ana  weary  journey  overland — *Deatn  of 

Rene  LeWanc — They  arrive  safely  in  Louisiana 

and  settle  in  the  Attakafaas  region  on  the 

Teche   and  VermiJJj'on   ^Bayous 

A  «=»«=>««==..£  j  have  already  told  you, 
A  (.<.  A  v  petiots,  during  three  years, 
«  /"\  V  we  had  lived  contented  and 
y  *  j  happy  in  Maryland,  when  we 

received  tidings  that  a  num- 
ber of  Acadians,  exiles  like  us,  had  settled 
in  Louisiana,  where  they  were  prospering 
and  retrieving  their  lost  fortunes  under 
the  fostering  care  of  the  French  gov- 
ernment. 

This  news  which  threw  us  in  a  flutter, 
engrossed  our  minds  so  completely,  that 
we  spoke  of  nothing  else.  It  gave  rise  to 
the  most  extravagant  conjectures,  and  the 
hope  of  seeing,  once  more,  the  dear  ones 
torn  so  cruelly  from  us,  was  revived  in  our 


94  Acadian  Reminiscences 

hearts.  This  news  was  deficient,  however, 
in  one  respect:  it  left  us  ignorant  of  the 
fate  of  those  who,  like  us,  had  been  exiled 
from  St.  Gabriel. 

"That  uncertainty  cast  a  gloom  over  our 
hopes  which  marred  our  joy  and  happi- 
ness, and  increased  our  anxiety. 

"Our  suspense  became  unbearable,  and 
we  finally  discussed  seriously  the  expedi- 
ency of  emigrating  to  Louisiana.  The 
more  timid  among  us  represented  the 
temerity  and  folly  of  such  an  undertaking, 
but  the  desire  to  seek  our  brother  exiles 
grew  keener  every  day,  and  became  so 
deeply  rooted  in  our  minds,  that  we  con- 
cluded to  leave  for  Louisiana,  where  the 
banner  of  France  waved  over  true  French 
hearts. 

"We  announced  our  determination  to 
our  benefactors,  the  Brent  and  Smith  fam- 
ilies, and,  undismayed  by  the  perils  that 
awaited  us,  and  the  obstacles  we  had  to 
overcome,  we  prepared  for  our  pilgrimage 
from  Maryland  to  Louisiana. 


Acadian  Reminiscences  95 

"Our  friends  used  all  their  eloquence  to 
dissuade  us  from  our  resolve,  but  we  re- 
sisted all  their  entreaties,  although  we  were 
deeply  touched  by  this  new  proof  of  their 
friendship.  We  disposed  of  the  articles 
that  we  could  not  carry  along  with  us,  and 
kept  our  wagons  and  horses  to  transport 
the  women  and  children,  and  the  baggage. 
In  all,  we  numbered  two  hundred  persons, 
and  of  these,  fifty  were  well  armed,  and 
ready  to  face  any  danger. 

"We  journeyed  slowly;  the  wagons 
moved  in  the  centre,  while  twenty  men  in 
advance,  and  as  many  in  the  rear  marched 
four  abreast.  Ten  of  the  bravest  and  most 
active  of  our  young  men  took  the  lead  a 
short  distance  ahead  of  the  column,  and 
formed  our  advance  guard.  Our  forces 
were  distributed  in  this  wise,  petiots,  for 
our  safety,  as  the  road  lay  through  moun- 
tain defiles,  and  in  a  wild  and  dreary 
country  inhabited  by  Indians. 

"We  secured,  as  scouts  and  guides,  two 
Indians  well  known  to  the  Brent  family, 


96  Acadian  Reminiscences 

and  in  whom, we  were  told, we  could  place 
the  most  implicit  confidence.  We  had 
occasion,  more  than  once,  to  find  how  for- 
tunate we  had  been  to  secure  their  services. 
We  set  out  on  our  journey  with  sorrow. 
We  were  parting  with  friends  kind  and 
generous;  friends  who  had  relieved  us  in 
our  needs,  and  who  had  proved  true  as 
steel,  and  loving  as  brothers.  We  were 
parting  from  them,  lured  with  hopes  which 
might  prove  illusory,  and  when  we  grasped 
their  hands  in  a  last  farewell,  words  failed 
us,  and  our  tears  and  sobs  told  them  of  our 
gratitude  forthe  benefits  they  had,  so  gen- 
erously, showered  upon  us.  They,  too, 
wept,  touched  to  the  heart  by  the  eloquent, 
though  mute,  expression  of  our  gratitude. 
Their  last  words,  were  words  of  love,  glow- 
ing with  a  fervent  wish  that  our  cherished 
hopes  might  be  realized. 

"We  set  out  in  a  westerly  direction,  and 
we  had  soon  lost  sight  of  the  hospitable 
roofs  of  the  Brent  and  Smith  families.  We 
again  felt  that  we  were,  once  more,  poor 


Acadian  Reminiscences  97 

wandering  exiles  roaming  through  the 
world  in  search  of  a  home. 

"Our  journey,  petiots,  was  slow  and 
tedious,  for  a  thousand  obstacles  impeded 
our  progress.  We  encountered  deep  and 
rapid  streams  that  we  could  not  cross  for 
want  of  boats;  we  traveled  through  moun- 
tain defiles,  where  the  pathway  was  narrow 
and  dangerous,  winding  over  hill  and  dale 
and  over  craggy  steeps,  where  one  false 
step  might  hurl  us  down  into  the  yawning 
chasm  below.  We  suffered  from  storms 
and  pelting  rains,  and  at  night  when  we 
halted  to  rest  our  weary  limbs,  we  had  only 
the  light  canvass  of  our  tents  to  shelter  us 
from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather. 

"Ah!  petiots,  we  were  undergoing  sore 
trialsl  But  we  were  lulled  by  the  hope 
that  far,  far  away  in  Louisiana,  our  dream- 
land, we  would  find  our  kith  and  kin. 
That  radiant  hope  illumined  our  pathway; 
it  shone  as  a  beacon  light  on  which  we 
kept  our  eyes  riveted,  and  it  steeled  our 
hearts  against  sufferings  and  privations  al- 


98  Acadian  Reminiscences 

most  too  great  to  be  borne  otherwise. 

"Thus  we  advanced  fearlessly,  aye,  al- 
most cheerfully,  and  at  night,  when  we 
pitched  our  tents  in  some  solitary  spot,  our 
Acadian  songs  broke  the  silence  and  lone- 
liness of  the  solitude,  and,  as  the  gentle 
wind  wafted  them  over  the  hills,  the  light 
couplets  were  re-echoed  back  to  us  so 
clearly  and  so  distinctly,  that  it  seemed  the 
voice  of  some  friend  repeating  them  in 
the  distance. 

"As  long  as  we  journeyed  in  Virginia, 
barring  the  obstacles  presented  by  the 
roads  of  a  country  diversified  by  hill  and 
dale,  our  progress,  though  slow,  was  satis- 
factory. The  people  were  generous,  and 
supplied  us  with  an  abundance  of  provi- 
sions. But  when  the  white  population 
grew  sparser  and  sparser,  and  when  we 
reached  the  wild  and  mountainous  country 
which,  we  were  told,  bore  the  name  of 
Carolina,  then,  petiots,  it  required  a  stout 
heart  and  firm  resolve,  indeed,  not  to 
abandon  the  attempt  to  reach  Louisiana 


Acadian  Reminiscences  99 

by  the  overland  route  we  were  following. 

"During  days  and  weeks,  we  had  to 
march  slowly  and  tediously  through  end- 
less forests,  cutting  our  way  across  under- 
growth so  thick,  as  to  be  almost  imper- 
vious to  light;  brushwood  where  a  cruel 
enemy  might  lay  concealed  in  ambush  to 
murder  us,  for  we  were  now  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  Indian  country,  and  the 
savages  followed  us,  stealthily,  day  and 
night.  We  could  see  them  with  their 
tattooed  faces  and  hideous  headgear  of 
feathers,  frightful  in  appearance,  lurking 
around  in  the  forest,  and  watching  our 
movements.  We  were  always  on  the  alert, 
expecting  an  attack  at  any  moment,  for  we 
could  distinctly  hear  their  whoops  and 
fierce  yells. 

"Ahl  Petiots,  it  was  then  that  our  mental 
and  bodily  anguish  became  extreme,  and 
that  the  stoutest  heart  grew  faint  under  the 
pressure  of  such  accumulated  woes.  Our 
nights  were  sleepless,  and,  careworn  and 
on  the  verge  of  starvation,  we  moved 


100  Acadian  Reminiscences 

steadily  onward,  the  very  picture  of  dejec- 
tion and  of  despair.  Thus  we  toiled  on 
day  after  day,  and  night  after  night,  during 
two  long  weary  months  on  our  seemingly 
endless  journey,  until,  disspirited  and  dis- 
heartened, our  courage  failed  us. 

"It  was  a  dark  hour,  full  of  alarming 
forebodings,  and  we  witnessed  the  depres- 
sion of  our  brother  exiles  with  sorrow  and 
apprehension. 

"But  a  kind  Providence  watched  over 
us.  God  tempereth  the  wind  to  the  shorn 
lamb.  The  hope  of  finding  our  lost 
kindred  stimulated  our  drooping  spirits. 
We  had  been  told  that  Louisiana  was  a 
land  of  enchantment,  where  a  perpetual 
spring  reigned.  A  land  where  the  soil 
was  extremely  fertile;  where  the  climate 
was  so  genial  and  temperate,  and  the  sky 
so  serene  and  azure,  as  to  justly  deserve 
the  name  of  Eden  of  America.  It  smiled 
to  us  in  the  distance  like  the  promised 
land,  and  toward  that  land  we  bent  our 
weary  steps,  longing  for  the  day  when  we 


Acadian  Reminiscences  101 

would  tread  its  soil,  and  breathe  once  more 
the  pure  air  in  which  floated  the  banner 
of  France. 

"At  last  we  reached  the  Tennessee 
river,  where  it  curves  gracefully  around 
the  base  of  a  mountain  looming  up  hun- 
dreds of  feet.  Its  banks  were  rocky  and 
precipitous,  falling  straight  down  at  least 
fifty  feet,  and  we  could  see,  in  the  chasm 
below,  its  waters  that  flowed  majestically 
on  in  their  course  toward  the  grand  old 
Meschacebe.  It  was  out  of  the  question 
to  cross  the  river  there,  and  we  followed 
the  roadway  on  its  banks  around  the 
mountain,  advancing  cautiously  to  avoid 
the  danger  that  threatened  us  at  every  step. 

"That  night,  we  slept  in  a  large  natural 
cave  on  the  very  brink  of  the  precipice  by 
the  river.  At  dawn  of  day  we  resumed 
our  march,  and  as  we  advanced,  the 
country  became  more  and  more  level,  and 
after  four  days  of  toil  and  fatigue,  we 
halted  and  camped  on  a  hill  by  the  river- 
side, where  a  small  creek  runs  into  the 


102  Acadian  Reminiscences 

river.  We  met  there  a  party  of  Canadian 
hunters  and  trappers  who  gave  us  a  friendly 
welcome,  and  replenished  our  store  of 
provisions  with  game  and  venison.  They 
informed  us  that  the  easiest  and  least 
wearisome  way  to  reach  Louisiana  was  to 
float  down  the  Tennessee  and  Meschacebe 
rivers.  The  plan  suggested  by  them  was 
adopted,  and  the  men  of  our  party,  aided 
by  our  Canadian  friends,  felled  trees  to 
build  a  suitable  boat. 

"There,  petiots,  a  great  misfortune  be- 
fell us.  We  experienced  a  great  loss  in 
the  death  of  Rene  Leblanc,  who  had  been 
our  leader  and  adviser  in  the  hours  of  our 
sore  trials.  Old  age  had  shattered  his  con- 
stitution, and  unequal  to  the  fatigues  of 
our  long  pilgrimage,  he  pined  away,  and 
sank  into  his  grave  without  a  word  of  com- 
plaint. He  died  the  death  of  a  hero  and 
of  a  Christian,  consoling  us  as  we  wept 
beside  him,  and  cheering  us  in  our 
troubles.  His  death  afflicted  us  sorely, 
and  the  night  during  which  he  lay  exposed, 


Acadian  Reminiscences  103 

preparatory  to  his  burial,  the  silence  was 
unbroken,  in  our  camp,  save  by  our  whis- 
pered words,  as  if  we  feared  to  disturb  the 
slumbers  of  the  great  and  good  man  that 
slept  the  eternal  sleep.  We  buried  him  at 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  in  a  grove  of  walnut 
trees.  We  carved  his  name  with  a  cross 
over  it  on  the  bark  of  the  tree  sheltering  his 
grave,  and  after  having  said  the  prayers  for 
the  dead,  we  closed  his  grave,  wet  with 
the  tears  of  those  he  had  loved  so  well. 

"My  narrative  has  not  been  gay,  petiots, 
but  the  gloom  that  darkened  it  will  now  be 
dispelled  by  the  radiant  sunshine  of  joy 
and  of  happiness. 

"Our  boat  was  unwieldy,  but  it  served 
our  purpose  well.  We  stored  in  it  our 
baggage  and  supplies;  we  sold  our  horses 
and  wagons  to  our  Canadian  friends,  and 
taking  leave  of  our  Indian  guides,  we  cut 
loose  the  moorings  of  the  boat.  We 
floated  down  stream,  our  young  men  row- 
ing, and  singing  Acadian  songs. 

"Nothing   of  importance   happened  to 


104  Acadian  Reminiscences 

us  after  our  embarkment,  petiots.  During 
the  day,  we  traveled,  and  at  night,  we 
moored  our  boat  safely,  and  encamped  on 
the  banks  of  the  river.  At  last  we  launched 
on  the  turbulent  waters  of  the  Mississippi 
and  floated  down  that  noble  stream  as  far  as 
bayou  Plaquemines,  in  Louisiana,  where 
we  landed.  Once  more  we  were  treading 
French  soil,  and  we  were  freed  from 
English  dominion. 

"As  the  tidings  of  our  arrival  spread 
abroad,  a  great  number  of  Acadian  exiles 
flocked  to  our  camp  to  greet  and  welcome 
us.  Ah!  petiots,  how  can  I  describe  our 
joy  and  rapture,  when  we  recognized 
countenances  familiar  to  us.  Grasping 
their  hands,  with  hearts  too  full  for  utter- 
ance, we  wept  like  children.  Many  a  sor- 
rowing heart  revived  to  love  and  happi- 
ness on  that  day.  Many  a  wife  pressed  to 
her  bosom  a  long  lost  husband.  Many  a 
fond  parent  clasped  in  rapturous  embrace 
a  loving  child.  Ah!  such  a  moment  re- 
paid us  a  thousandfold  for  all  our  suffer- 


g 

.<a 


s 


a 


Acadian  Reminiscences  105 

ings  and  privations,  and  we  spent  the  day 
in  rejoicing,  conviviality  and  merriment. 

"The  sequel  of  my  story  will  be  quickly 
told,  petiots.  Shortly  afterwards,  we  left 
for  the  Teche  region,  where  lands  had 
been  granted  to  us  by  the  government. 
We  wended  our  way,  to  our  destined 
homes,  through  dismal  swamps,  through 
bayous  without  number  and  across  lakes 
until  we  reached  Portage  Sauvage,  at 
Fausse  Pointe.  The  next  day,  we  were  at 
the  Poste  des  Attakapas,  a  small  hamlet 
having  two  or  three  houses,  one  store  and 
a  small  wooden  church,  situated  on  bayou 
Teche  which  we  crossed  in  a  boat. 

"There,  the  several  Acadians  separated 
to  settle  on  the  lands  granted  to  them. 

"You  must  not  imagine,  petiots,  that 
the  Teche  region  was,  at  that  time,  dotted 
all  over  like  nowadays  with  thriving  farms, 
elegant  houses  and  handsome  villages.  No, 
petiots,  it  required  the  nerve  and  persever- 
ance of  your  Acadian  fathers  to  settle 
there.  Although  beautiful  and  picturesque, 


106  Acadian  Reminiscences 

it  was  a  wild  region  inhabited,  mostly,  by 
Indians  and  by  a  few  white  men,  trappers 
and  hunters  by  occupation.  Its  immense 
prairies,  covered  with  weeds  as  tall  as 
you,  were  the  commons  where  herds  of 
cattle  and  of  deer  roamed  unmolested, 
save  by  the  hunter  and  the  panther.  Such 
was  the  region  your  ancestors  settled,  and 
which,  by  their  energy,  they  have  trans- 
formed into  a  garden  teeming  with  wealth. 

"The  Acadians  enriched  themselves  in 
a  country  where  no  one  will  starve  if  he 
is  industrious,  and  where  one  may  easily 
become  rich  if  he  fears  God,  and  if  he  is 
economical  and  orderlv  in  his  affairs. 

"Petiots,  I  have  kept  my  promise,  and 
my  tale  is  told.  Your  Acadian  fathers 
were  martyrs  in  a  noble  cause,  and  you 
should  always  be  proud  to  be  the  sons  of 
martyrs  and  of  men  of  principle." 

"Grandmother,"  we  said,  as  we  kissed 
her  fondly,  "your  words  have  fallen  in 
willing  and  loving  hearts,  and  they  will 
bear  fruit.  We  are  proud  now  of  being 


Acadian  Reminiscences  107 

called  Acadians,  for  there  never  was  any 
people  more  noble,  more  devoted  to  duty 
and  more  patriotic  than  the  Acadians  who 
became  exiles,  and  who  braved  death 
itself,  rather  than  renounce  their  faith, 
their  king  and  their  country." 


[FINIS] 


f|T  Acknowledgement  is  made  of  the 
Til  kindnessof  Rev.  A.T.  Kempton, 
Lecturer  on  Evangeline;  Rev.  George 
W.  Brooks,  an  authority  on  Acadian 
history,  and  The  Soule  Art  Publish- 
ing Company,  in  loaning  us  photo- 
graphs for  illustrating  this  book. 


196025 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    000  678  502    6 


